For the thousands of fans who make it inside Comic-Con there are just as many, if not more, outside.
On Friday in downtown San Diego, there were cosplay outfits, building wraps, free outside activities and tons of nerdy fun.
Performance artist Critical Mask was dressed as “The Batman Who Laughs.” He described the character as a supervillain — a Joker-Batman hybrid.
The New Yorker wouldn’t share his real name but he flew into town to be a part of the action. He said for him cosplay fills a void. It makes other people smile and expands his artistry.
“This is the culmination of a project that was done piece by piece over the past three years,” Critical Mask said of his costume.
Local San Diegan Joram Fierros agreed with the New Yorker.
“I've been a fan of superheroes since I was a kid, its always been my getaway from the harsh realities. So I feel like Comic-Con for a lot of people is a safe space to relieve their fantasies, their childhood nostalgia," he said.
Fierros cosplayed as Deadpool — a superhero character that has a brand new movie.
“I always love coming to Comic-Con and it's always worth it," Fierros said. "It's my 11th year being here. Yes, it's kind of tough with the heat, but seeing the locals, the tourists, the different cultures, the people — it always makes up for it and it's always such a blast.”
All around Comic-Con, there are tons of things to see and do. That includes a "Planet of the Apes" exhibit.
Chris Bess, who does global publicity at Disney, said for fans it's “learning about all the 60-plus years of the franchise and then they take that iconic turn through the vault doors into 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' and immerse them into the recent film.”
Whether it's movies, food, art or cosplay fun, Fierros said you don't need a badge to enjoy it.
“I think out of all of the times I've come I think half of the times I've gotten a badge," Fierros said. "And other times I don't even go inside at all — you can just walk around the Convention Center, down to Seaport Village, down in Gaslamp Quarter and you still get such an amazing experience.”
